You are invited this month to take seven movements in a spiritual journey grounded in what God did in Exodus. The purpose and end of this journey is to get us to points of pure praise and thanksgiving—the super power of all Christians. Take time to ponder the Scriptures, write down your answers to the questions in each movement, and share with others what you have learned and how you praise God. Take your time to slowly build your tower of praise and thanksgiving to our wonderful God and Savior as you journey through this Advent season. Consider what a difference praise and thanksgiving can make in your Christmas experience.
Movement One: Purloined Praise
Scripture: Exodus 1-4
Heavy bricks. Raw hands. Aching backs. Straw dust. Sleep deprivation. Survival. Little reason for praise. For generations the Hebrews knew these things as their constant companions. Any reason for praise had been stolen (purloined) from them for centuries. God’s people were suffering terribly and for no other reason than they were alive and numerous. They needed help.
In Exodus 3 we read that God sent Moses with a message. “So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians.” What a great thing to hear! At last, a word from Elohim the God of justice! He has heard! He is going to act! He will see them through!
God is the glorious God of mercy and justice. He does have compassion. He will see right done in his time. He is all about saving people from their troubles. In the book of Exodus we see how God performs his mighty work of justice, mercy and compassion for all those who would follow him.
We, the adopted descendants of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, the orphans collected off of the pagan streets, the frazzled slaves of sin, know this through the marvelous work of Jesus Christ. This is the same God who called a group of slaves to be his own and, in a time when praise seemed impossible, gave them a future of praise.
God looks at you the same way he looked upon Moses, Aaron, Miriam and all of the Hebrew people. He sees an individual and a people who need help and compassion. He also invites us to be part of his great work in the world, to lead people to the Savior so that their stolen joy can be returned.
Points to Ponder
· Read Acts 7:1-53 (a brief history of the Israelites as recounted by Stephen) and write down your observations of the kinds of things that stole points of praise from God’s people.
· What kinds of things are weighing you down and stealing your joy right now?
· Have you asked God for help in these things? If not, why not?
Prayer: Dear God, I need your help. I ask you to help me to return to a place of praise. Help me to see through the sorrows, sins and disappointments of this life to the kind of hope that I can seize hold of again. Return to me the joy of my salvation. Amen
Movement Two: Postponed Praise
Scripture: Exodus 5-6:12
Chronic pain, long-term pain, never-ending pain—now those are ugly words. They cast a spell of gloom and torment, depression and resignation. We don’t want those kinds of things in our lives, do we? Neither did the Hebrews. For four hundred years they had been in slavery to the Egyptians. After four hundred years of brick-making, don’t you imagine the Hebrews would have just given up? How many times does a person have to be beaten down by hard labor and cruel slave masters before they give up?
There is a reason human beings keep on going even in the face of what seems interminable pain—we have hope woven into our very being. We were created in God’s image and he gives us his great and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4), so we bear within us this eternal hope that things can get better.
No matter how weary they became and no matter how many times they were beaten down, the Hebrews had hope in their hearts because of the promise God had made to their ancestors (Genesis 12:1-3). In the song “When You Believe” sung by the character of Miriam in the animated film “Prince of Egypt”, songwriters Kenneth Edmonds and Stephen Schwartz penned these wonderful words, “Though hope is frail, it is hard to kill.” Even though outright praise had been postponed, this tiny flicker of hope could not be snuffed out because the eternal God of Goodness had made a promise to them.
Let us remember that our pain is temporary and if we do just as the Lord God has commanded us, as the Lord Jesus Christ has taught us, and as the Spirit of the Lord has enabled us, we will be able to praise God again.
Points to Ponder
· Reflect on Proverbs 13:12. How has hope been deferred in your life?
· Recall a time when it was difficult for you to praise. What did God do to get you beyond that?
· What promises has God made to believers generally and to you personally?
· Read Colossians 3:12-17. How can you help instill hope to those around you?
Prayer: Lord God, I thank you for what you are going to do for us in the future. By the power of the Holy Spirit I reach out to take hold of hope for me, for my family, for my church and for our world. Give me the long view—the eternal view—of your work in this world. Amen
Movement Three: Prelude to Praise--Part One
Scripture: Exodus 6:28-7:13
It’s going to get worse before it gets better. Have you ever had anyone tell you that before? This is something a doctor hints at. It is another reminder that pain can be temporary. If you have a tumor or a broken bone or an infected tooth, the doctor has to do something. He’s got to cause you more pain to get to the healing place. Doesn’t that seem odd? Recovery from surgery is no fun. But we enter into an agreement with the doctor that we will let him cut our skin, muscles and nerves, causing us pain, so that the pain and poor health conditions we are currently living with would be diminished, if not obliterated.
The Hebrews had a cancer—it was the cruel oppression of slave drivers. This cancer, this evil had to be dealt with in a war-like manner. But they also had something else. The Hebrews had God, the Creator of the Universe, the Sustainer of Life, the Merciful, Jehovah the Provider, the God of Covenant and Promise. God is all-powerful, all-mighty, all-strong and all-compassionate. He brought healing and restoration, hope and comfort, reclamation and strength for their journeys—even through the war of good versus evil.
With God, sometimes our path to freedom gets worse before it gets better. And Satan does not want to let us go. So he engages in great spiritual battle with God and with us for our souls. Then God, like a good surgeon who sees exactly what the problem is, also knows that sometimes the pain intensifies before it subsides.
Our God is all-powerful, all-mighty, all-strong and all-compassionate. He brings to us healing and restoration, hope and comfort, reclamation and strength for our journey—even in the middle of the battle.
Points to Ponder
· Where does your strength come from in the middle of your battles?
· Do you need to rely more on your Savior? If so, in what specific ways?
· What kinds of weapons of righteousness do you use the most?
· Reflect on Ephesians 6:10-20. What else could you employ as you wait for God’s victory?
Prayer: I thank you God for my battles. For without them I would not understand how great of a Savior you are. I ask you to give me a taste of the victory that can be ours. Help me to know that the pain that I experience now is not forever. Amen
Movement Four: Prelude to Praise--Part Two
Scripture: Exodus 7:14-11:10
There were ten plagues of Egypt, each topping the other until the final plague that touched even the household of the Pharaoh in a very personal way. God gave plenty of room and time for the Pharaoh to make the right decisions for his own people and for the Hebrews. Each plague was announced by Moses and Aaron prior to its arrival. Over and over again God gave Pharaoh the opportunity to change his mind. Imagine how different this would have all been if Pharaoh had acknowledged God!
In the middle of all these plagues, the Hebrews suffered terribly as well. God spared them some of the plagues, but some of the others they had to endure. It certainly got worse before it got better. What a terrible night during that last plague! Making war with God guarantees sorrow.
It got worse before it got better. In fact, it got really, really bad. What do you imagine the Hebrews were thinking during all of this? What do you imagine the Egyptians were thinking? There’s one thing that we know for certain. The Hebrews had God, the Creator of the Universe, the Sustainer of Life, the Merciful, Jehovah the Provider, the God of Covenant and Promise.
Indeed we suffer greatly at times—and many times not from things we ourselves have done. We suffer temporary pain from corrupt systems and bad leaders, from the sins of the world, and the sins of our parents. But we who believe have a promise from our God that our suffering leads us to release from captivity and into peace with him. We must always remember that even when war is raging in our bodies, in our culture, or in our spiritual world it is God who leads us into his great future.
Points to Ponder
· What kind of impact has suffering had on your life?
· In what ways has God sustained you during times of trouble?
· Meditate on Psalm 116 and share with someone how God has helped you.
Prayer: Oh, God my Savior. Thank you for how you have helped me in the past. I pray today for your strength and comfort. Give this same strength and comfort to my neighbors who suffer as I have. Amen
Movement Five: Patterns for Praise
Scripture: Exodus 12:1-30.
There are events in our lives that are important to remember. It is important for us to remember how God has delivered us. God knows this about us and he knows how quickly we forget. He is mindful of our humble condition. So when God sets up rituals and remembrances he does it so that we won’t forget his love and compassion.
God had given the Hebrews very specific directions to follow to avoid the troubles that the Egyptians experienced. The very specific directions God gave them not only helped them to avoid the pain of death, but prepared them to leave four centuries of Egyptian slavery, and more importantly, to remember his work on their behalf. The very specific directions incorporated the following: readiness to go, a special type of meal and an offering or sacrifice of the most unique kind.
Readiness, for God, does not imply a state of being perfect, or being cleaned-up or being absolutely prepared for any contingency. It means you are willing to let him do what he is going to do and that you are willing to obey and follow despite your fears. Readiness is required for deliverance.
God initiated the Passover—a tradition of helping the Hebrews remember a great and decisive victory of God on behalf of his people. God described precisely why they were to celebrate. In verses 14 and 17 we see that the Hebrews were to celebrate “as a festival to the Lord” and to “celebrate God bringing them out.” In advance of their complete deliverance, God was setting up a time of remembrance for them. Before they took one step further they were to incorporate patterns of remembrance into their lifestyle and that would lead to praise.
Points to Ponder
Each one of us have Passover experiences in our lives.
· How do we remember them?
· What do we tell our families and friends about these events?
· Do we tell them that the symbols that we have of our new life with God are far more than just symbols—that they are tangible reminders of God’s deliverance from terrible trouble?
· How can you set up patterns for praise in the future?
Prayer: O Lord, my God, I remember today what you have done for me. Thank you for the symbols of our deliverance. Help me to teach others the importance of setting up patterns for praise in their lives. Amen
Movement Six: Pursuit of Praise
Scripture: Exodus 13:17-14:31
The threat of death was all around the Hebrews. Behind them the Egyptian army raged toward them. On their right and on their left walls of water could have collapsed and thundered over them at any moment. And before them the narrow gap that they could see could collapse and destroy all hope. But this was God’s miracle of deliverance. And every one of the Hebrews passed through God’s miracle. As the last foot was planted on the opposite shore, they had the opportunity to pursue praise.
God kept his word! God did deliver the Hebrews—and with plunder. They piled so much stuff onto their carts and wheelbarrows that they had more than what they would need for provision ahead! The 600,000 men, besides women and children, literally walked out of slavery and crossed an impassible sea on dry ground! Not one sword or whip touched their skin. That is something worth remembering!
You have been given many opportunities to look back and see the times and ways that God has delivered you. How do we know this? It is because you are reading this right now. If it were not for God and his great power and mercy you would have been destroyed multiple times. God’s grace and his power are eternally linked together. Over and over again he has offered the strength of his right arm to you, the deliverance from enemies, the miracles and spiritual armor that keep you from ultimate harm.
We should respond the very same way the Israelites did. And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. (Exodus 14:31)
Points to Ponder
· What is your life like now because of God’s saving work?
· How are you now behaving in light of God’s saving work?
· Do you need to refresh your memory, repeat some patterns that lead to praise?
· How should we respond to his great demonstrations of love and power?
Prayer: Oh, God! Let me pursue praise instead of despair; thanksgiving instead of disappointment; rejoicing instead of grumbling. I want to praise you the rest of my life. Free my lips to praise you more! Amen
Movement Seven: Promoting Praise
Scripture: Exodus 15:1-21
Now the Hebrews truly knew the reasons for unbridled praise! They sang and danced for they had been redeemed! The whole nation rejoiced. Why would they not do so? Four-hundred years of oppression had been obliterated. The oppressors had been completely stopped by God’s mighty right arm. Nature had been deployed on their behalf. Fire, cloud and water were the defensive weapons of their Savior.
Moses’ voice range out, “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted.” And then, as one voice, the entire nation joined in! They had everything to celebrate. This was their very personal God and he deserved their very personal, individual and corporate praise. The moment was ripe for praise. “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him.”
They retraced all of the events together, singing of the sure victory provided by their God. Aaron, Miriam, their families, their cousins and their neighbors raised their voices in adulation. No one else could have provided such a deliverance! He was most worthy of their praise.
And then Miriam picked up a tambourine and delighted the Lord with praise that could not be constrained to just her voice. Her entire being was employed to praise God. She took Moses’ phrase of personal rejoicing and turned it into an exhortation for her people. There was still more singing to be done! “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”
Remember what God has done for you, your family, your church and your world. You need to sing to the Lord for he is indeed highly exalted! Write a song to God, declare it publicly, rejoice with your whole being! Lead your people in praising God for what he has done!
Points to Ponder:
· Have you written down God’s victories in your life? Do so in detail thanking him at every word.
· Have you shared these with other—even the “old victories”?
· Read Psalm 118 standing up, out loud and with gusto—in front of your Bible Study, family or during your personal devotional time. What did it feel like to praise God in such a way?
· Sing your favorite praise song as loud as you can and from the depths of your heart.
Prayer: Oh, God, you are my God and I praise you today. May my life be filled with praise and thanksgiving to you for all that you have done and all that you will do. I use every fiber of my being to give you praise so that others may join me in the celebration. Amen
© M.R.Hyde 2024
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